Does your neighborhood have at least 51% low-to-moderate income individuals? If so, you may qualify for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a federally funded program to support community development in low-income populations. This program's stringent eligibility requirements are governed by the Code of Federal Regulations. To qualify, at...
Are you ready to transform an under-used space in your community? Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its third round of brownfield grants, totaling $235 million. It is anticipated that approximately 200 grants will be awarded through the Brownfields Program. With this grant, the EPA partners with federal and state a...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new drinking water standards to limit the concentration of a family of forever chemicals known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS. PFAS chemicals were widely used for years in various industrial and consumer products and have been linked to health issues. The new limits are a sig...
Anytime you sweep dirt into a dustpan, there's always that little line that remains on the floor. So you back the dustpan up an inch, start again, and keep going until the dirt line has all but vanished. No matter how well you sweep, there will always be a small amount of dust left. It's the same with residual contamination in the world of environm...
You've purchased brownfield property, conducted Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, installed a vapor intrusion mitigation system, completed a site investigation, and conducted remediation. But have you done enough? Site contamination has potentially lethal consequences and shouldn't be taken lightly. That's why engineers have a va...
Are there abandoned or unused properties in your area? If so, your community might be a candidate for a brownfield redevelopment project. Transforming environmentally compromised properties into assets can be costly and require specific expertise. But the investment pays off. Redeveloping brownfields eliminates eyesores and transforms them into val...
How polluted is the ground beneath your feet? Lead and arsenic can occur naturally in soil — but there's no need to panic. There are measures that your community can take to control soil contamination in your area. Soil contamination in urban areas is mostly attributed to human activities, including: Excessive use of synthetic pesticides and fertil...
For facilities storing hazardous chemicals, the deadline for Tier II inventory reporting is quickly approaching. Governed by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, known as EPCRA, Tier II Chemical Inventory reports are due March 1 for the previous reporting year. This is a fixed deadline, and extensions are not granted. Delayed rep...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently proposed revisions to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) to limit lead exposure. The proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) simplifies the 2022 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and include provisions for efficient implementations by water systems to...
While phosphorus and nitrogen are indispensable for the growth of aquatic flora, nutrient-rich wastewater results in eutrophication — an excessive growth of algae and plankton in bodies of water — which impairs freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems. To preserve these vital bodies of water and prevent eutrophication, wastewater treatment plants a...
Some scents, like chocolate chip cookies or fresh linen, evoke delight. Others, like smoke from a fire, serve as a warning, signaling that something could be wrong. But what if something was wrong – and you couldn't smell it? Those smells – or vapors – are perhaps the most harmful because you're breathing them without knowing it. Then, you don't ta...
A pedestrian bridge should be designed with careful consideration of safety and convenience. Engineers creating pedestrian bridge designs should begin by identifying project objectives and constraints. Engineers should also consider construction and maintenance requirements, permitting, railing and fencing requirements, lightning, drainage and cost...
Secondary contaminants in drinking water, also known as nuisance chemicals, do not pose potential health hazards but they may cause water to smell or taste unpleasant and appear cloudy or discolored. Drinking water with secondary contaminants can be extremely off-putting, even if it is safe and may cause people to change their consumption behaviors...
Source: U.S. EPA Since its inception in 1995, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program has provided nearly $2.37 billion in grants to remediate contaminated sites and sustainably reuse them. The EPA Brownfields Program funds brownfield assessment, cleanup, revolving loans, environmental job training, technical assistan...
A municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF) is a dedicated land area or excavated site that receives nonhazardous solid waste from households and industries. An MSWLF may also receive nonhazardous sludge and conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste. These landfills safely isolate waste from the environment with clay and geotextile liners to...
Ideally, a sewer line should last 50 to 100 years, depending on the materials used to build the pipes. The gradual deterioration of sewer pipelines is caused by cracks, settling, tree root intrusion and other disturbances that develop over time. These deteriorating conditions affect the amount of inflow and infiltration entering systems, particular...
The U.S. freight rail network runs on almost 140,000 route miles. It is operated by seven Class I railroads with the highest operating revenues ($490 million or more), followed by 22 regional and 584 local/shortline railroads. The freight rail network accounts for about 40% of long-distance freight volume, highlighting the importance of robust, con...
Ongoing compliance with MS4 permits is among the most critical aspects of maintaining clean stormwater systems within your community. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires municipalities that are MS4 permit holders to conduct ongoing monitoring and reporting. There are six minimum control measures expected under MS4 permits: P...
Investigating the legal, environmental and financial conditions of a property is imperative to the success of a commercial land acquisition. If you are a developer or a municipality considering a land remediation/redevelopment project, comprehensive land acquisition due diligence is necessary to make informed decisions during property negotiations....
PFAS, or Per- and Polyfluroalkyl Substances, contamination of groundwater and drinking water exposes us to chemicals that eventually bioaccumulate in our tissues. Preliminary studies indicate the potential health effects of PFAS include altered immune and thyroid function, liver and kidney diseases, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes a...
